Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Rude, Ruder and Rudest

Two Thoughts for Tuesday

Last week the list of the rudest cities in America was a hot topic on all the morning news programs. Just in case you missed it (if you weren't paying attention or you live under a rock...or perhaps you just don't give a crap...oh is that rude???) here is how it stacked up.

Actually, when they had the teaser at the intro of the program saying "What are the rudest cities in America?" my mind filled with possibilities. For my regular bloggees, you know I have lived in 39 cities with 20 or so of those since being married. I might have to dismiss my picks based on my level of objectivity for the cities that I lived in as a kid because I was too busy being a kid and probably wouldn't of noticed rude people. BUT as an adult, I clearly notice pushy, obnoxious, aggressive behavior when it is smacking me in the face.

I must say, that this list had a few surprised for me. The poll was taken by Travel + Leisure and I have my doubts that this is the "absolute, without a doubt, 100 percent accurate" calculation of the cities that contain the bulk of America's a-holes. I am in fact "shocked" to see Dallas and Atlanta on there. Their inhabitants just seem so darn friendly to me.

According to Travel and Leisure's methodology for gleaning these rudest cities, they comprised a list of 35 cities to evaluate. Poll participants could go onto the Travel + Leisure website and evaluate all manner of things on a scale from 1-5. This, in-it-self begs me to ask the question "What if you are the rudest SOB on the planet and you live in St. Louis or Des Moines"? Well, you just get a pass from being recognized and rewarded for being rude. No high fives for you.

Just in case you are wondering what Travel + Leisure methodology was...and I am sure you were on the edge of your seat in query, here it is.

Methodology

An online survey, developed by the editors of Travel + Leisure, appeared on travelandleisure.com from May 16, 2011, to August 15, 2011. Respondents were asked to rate their choice of 35 cities (Anchorage; Atlanta; Austin; Baltimore; Boston; Charleston; Chicago; Dallas/Fort Worth; Denver; Honolulu; Houston; Kansas City; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Miami; Memphis; Minneapolis/St. Paul; Nashville; New Orleans; New York; Orlando; Philadelphia; Phoenix/Scottsdale; Portland. Maine; Portland, Oregon; Providence; Salt Lake City; San Antonio; San Diego; San Francisco; San Juan; Santa Fe; Savannah; Seattle; and Washington, D.C.) in a selection of subject categories (People, Type of Trip, Nightlife, Culture, Shopping, Food/Drink/Restaurants, Quality of Life/Visitor Experience, and Best Times to Visit). All subject categories and all cities were available for rating at all times. The subject categories were served in random order to respondents. Respondents were asked to identify whether they live in or had visited the cities they rated. The survey results appearing in the print magazine are from respondents who identified themselves as non-residents. Rankings are based on averages of responses from visitors concerning applicable characteristics. Respondents were asked to rate a city for each applicable characteristic, using a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest score. Responses were collected and tabulated by travelandleisure.com. Final scores were rounded to the nearest hundredth. When two or more cities have the same score but different ranks, their rankings were ordered by their unrounded score.

Thought #1

As I have been in all these cities, I am not entirely comfortable saying all New Yorkers are ruder than the people I encountered at the Walmart in Kansas City yesterday. The fact that NYC has so many people to pick from makes it easier to find jerks when and if you are looking for them. Clearly with that many bodies bustling through the relatively small geographical area that is NYC, there is going to be some general pissiness, some major finger flipping and some extremely rude behavior. (New York City metro covers 6720 square miles and has 18.9 million people and Montana (the whole state of Montana) has 974,989 people and they cover 147,042 square miles) You will note that not one Montana city was named on the list.

Still as I am convinced that ALL American cities, have some rude people within their midst...oh come on now...you know they do...I think you would be hard pressed to actually know where the obnoxious little clusters of jerks are hanging out. I do think that "territorial issues" have a hand in the level of rudeness.

People turn into butt heads when their space is invaded. Whether it is a neighbor infringing on your yard, a jerk cutting you off in traffic, or the chick on a cell phone blocking the baking supplies isle at the Safeway, we are all subject to INCONSIDERATE people.

Thought #2

Some people have no excuse for being the bitch or douche canoe that they are. They are just nasty. The guy that slams a door in the face of the old lady behind him or the person that cuts to the front of the line because their time is WAYYY more important than the rest of the shmucks that are willing to wait their turn, these people are just RUDE. The creep that cuts someone off in traffic causing or nearly causing an accident and doesn't give a apologetic wave is PAST RUDE. The cell phone user that is oblivious to everything and everyone around them and cuts you off in traffic, they are WAY PAST RUDE and just need to go to hell...oops, am I being rude, again?

15 comments:

Yeah, when I lived in Hawaii, it seemed we always could tell who weren't local because they often brought their rudeness to the islands. Not every visitor, of course, was rude but I'm just saying. When someone honked their car horn, it was always someone who didn't live there. I haven't lived in Hawaii, though, since 1992 so it may have changed a lot since then. I think a lot of the "rudeness" though has a lot to do with our changing society. Parents just don't raise their kids to respect others the same way we were in the past. Something got lost in the process...

What crazy list! I was totally thrown off by their methodology too, what made those cities prime candidates?

And, rude people suck. I forgot how rude and mannerless people at home in Maryland are - since I've been in Florida I've been Ma'am-ed and pleased and thank you'ed... it's nice to see and hear those things sometimes.

Cheryl, you just have to get your hands on a copy of "I See Rude People" by Amy Alkon. It not only skewers the rude types you're talking about, it offers some ideas about why we're so rude and some thoughts on how to fight back.

I totally agree that there is a huge segment that don't feel the need to teach their kids anything close to manners, social graces or discretion.

When did it happen that everyone believes that they have the right to say whatever is on their mind no matter how inappropriate it is, how hurtful it is, or how unfounded in fact it is.

My son went to college in Amsterdam, Netherlands and rented a flat next to the Anne Frank museum. He said he could sit out on the stoop and visit with the tourists and tell by their manners what country they were from. Americans didn't always fare well but there were other countries that didn't fare well either.

I have noticed that in places that we have lived as well that you can tell the natives from the non-natives. Tourists can be a pushy bunch.

Those southern cities in general seem to be more polite. I was surprised that Atlanta and Dallas made the list. They seem to be pretty liberal with their southern hospitality when I have been in those cities.

I used to travel to the Eastern seaboard for work and the drivers are seriously scarey there. I used to pray (literally...pray) when I exited Newarks airport. I swear the drivers there take bets on who they can scare shi***** on any given day.

I will say the 2 worst encounters I had with road rage were in Dallas and Chicago. I thought I was going to die.

I will have to get a copy of that book. I read "Talk to the Hand" by Lynne Truss that had a certain amount of humor in it. Although after awhile it felt like a was reading a rant. I think it is hard to not get agitated on the subject of rude people as rudeness has become so prevalent.

I'd be curious to see what kind of list they'd come up with for Canadian cities. Contrary to our reputation, we Canadians are not always polite. Sometimes we've been known to start sentences without saying "I'm sorry" first. Unbelievable, I know.

On this list I have only lived in Atlanta but visited LA, DC and Miami. I didn't find Miami that rude but I can see how some people might find it rude since it is difficult if you don't speak the language. No joke! The first language I was always addressed in was Spanish. DC wasn't bad except the homeless man who told me, "I will knock those glasses right off your face." I found no rudeness in LA except the snobbish attitude but they are pretty so we have to forgive them.

Now, Atlanta is pretty polite unless you live there and discover Southern Charm is not all it is portrayed to be. However, Savannah is by far ruder than Atlanta to live. I've been rear ended twice! Both by cell phone talkers who simply waved and drove on past me as I slowed to get over and survey the damage. I have no polite words for those two or the woman who shoved my cousin in the bathroom or.... It is not a pleasant place to live.

Hi Junebug, sorry for the slow response. I just can't seem to get my act together and stay current. I know that you and I were discussing Savannah at one point (can't remember why) and you mentioned that Savannnah isn't the friendliest city in the world. Have they not noticed that they are supposed to be the "genteel south". What's up with that? I think overall rudeness is viral in our society but there certainly seem to be cities with a stick up their rude backsides. I have lived in a lot of places and some are just more friendly than others. I hope I never have occassion to move to Savannah albeit is sure looks pretty.